Turnkey Oceanfront Home at West Beach in Laguna
FINDING YOUR AESTHETIC
INTERIOR DESIGNERS SHARE THEIR TIPS FOR CREATING SPACES THAT REFLECT THE INHABITANTS INSIDE BY ASHLEY BREEDING / COURTESY OF LATITUDE33 MAGAZINE
Nestled in a resort-like gated community overlooking the sand of West Street Beach, this elegant single-level residence offers seamless access to a community pool, spa, fitness center, and elevator. Inside, the sleek, minimalist design beautifully complements the captivating hues of the sea and sky. Expansive glass doors create a seamless connection between the open-concept living space and a generous covered terrace blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living. Gather around the stunning modern fireplace in the spacious living area featuring a built-in TV and soaring ceilings that enhance the ambiance. The bespoke gourmet kitchen is a chef's dream showcasing quartz countertops, seamless European-style cabinetry, and high-end appliances including a built-in refrigerator. A striking center island with a waterfall edge makes it an ideal space for entertaining. Retreat to serene bedrooms adorned with elegant custom cabinetry for ample storage. The spa-like bathrooms are true havens featuring luxurious natural stone finishes and walk-in showers. Located near the prestigious Montage Resort and Ritz Carlton, with easy access to local hiking trails, parks, and surf breaks, this home perfectly blends luxury with an active lifestyle. Don’t miss your chance to make this coastal dream a reality!
PROPERTY: 31423 South Coast Hwy #36, Laguna Beach
OFFERING PRICE: $3,790,000
AGENT INFO: Jennifer Halbert | 949.899.2113 jenniferhalbert@bhhscal.com | jenniferhalbert.com DRE# 01992762
Just as the fashion experts declare what will be popular in fashion each season, experts also predict what will trend in art, architecture and home design. Currently forecasted for homes: eco-friendly materials, minimalism, bright colors and a return to art deco. While interior design trendsetters are often inspired by what’s happening in the fashion industry, experts in the field know these styles aren’t what’s paramount when making such a heavy investment.
First and foremost, the aesthetic of a home should reflect the tastes of the people living in it,
according to veteran designers Shannon McLaren, owner of Prairie Interiors, and Casey Hill, founder of her eponymous studio, in Newport Beach. No matter your style, your space should help tell your story—think “objets d’art” collected while traveling, antique furnishings passed down through a family for generations (even reimagined with paint or new upholstery), and color palettes or pieces that hint at your affinity for a certain foreign culture.
At Prairie, McLaren’s team gathers ideas from a variety of sources. “We touch upon all our
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influences while taking inspiration from our own clients and try to match their personality through our lens,” explains the former celebrity stylist. “We find that balance.”
Hill says she adheres to her clients’ tastes while also prioritizing the architectural integrity, time period and location of a home, as well as helping them capitalize on elements like natural light and outdoor space. She too understands that style preferences are not always so linear. Say you reside in a Spanish colonial, but crave an air of midcentury modern; Hill—who also holds a master’s degree in architecture and trained under the late LA-famous decorator Suzanne Rheinstein—knows how to merge the two in a way that makes sense.
This season, maybe you want to try minimalism, but not in a way that feels stark or cold. For example, Hill is a selfdescribed minimalist, but in a way that differs from modern design (defined by simplicity, function and emptiness). Rather, her focus is on decluttering. “I encourage clients to be minimalistic in what they put out [in the open],” she
explains. “So much time and energy goes into designing your beautiful spaces— each one should be clean and tidy.”
And maybe you dig reemerging art deco style (short for “arts décoratifs”), but not to the extent of gilded wallpaper and checked floor tiles. Perhaps intense color is cheerful in moderation, but only in moderation.
Here, Hill and McLaren share their tricks for incorporating the season’s
trends in a way that feels authentically yours.
Color Inside the Lines
Hill’s portfolio of elegant yet whimsical rooms all embrace color— and lots of it. “I never use a traditional white paint,” she insists. “There are just
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Interior designer Shannon McLaren suggests picking one item in the room to be a colorful focal point, and chosing a mostly neutral palette with a few bright color accents.
CHAD MELLON
For bedrooms (above) interior designer Casey Hill says she often chooses muted blue-grays complemented by soft greens and cream to foster tranquility and rest; below: Hill says when mixing prints, avoid pairing two large prints and instead opt for a big print, then add a small floral or interesting stripe.
“We touch upon all our influences while taking inspiration from our own clients and try to match their personality through our lens”
—SHANNON MCLAREN
SPACE
From page 2
so many colors that really enhance a space. … I use color in every project.”
While brilliance dominates design showrooms this season, Hill prefers layering softer shades that have also made a comeback (pink flush is a favorite that “makes everyone in the room glow when the light hits it,” she points out) with a sea of blues or sunny yellows that “are rich but not too saturated.”
From millwork and wall paint to Tibetan rugs and textured fabrics, blue is a color Hill integrates frequently,
mostly at the behest of clients who seem to have taken a liking to it since the pandemic, she says.
While there’s no limit to the number of different colors that Hill will include in one room, the nature of a space determines hue. “For example, a study or living area can [handle] more vibrance, while a bedroom should be more subdued,” she says. Think muted blue-grays complemented by soft greens and cream to foster tranquility and rest.
Many Prairie clients favor McLaren’s earthy bent. “Our palette is mostly neutral, and then we’ll pick one or two bright colors to pop in,” she says. “You
have to be careful with color. … It’s a dance to find balance. … Too much, and it can look childish very quickly.”
Her solution (so long as the client agrees, of course) is to pick one item in a room to be the focal point of color— such as an emerald-print stair runner, a patterned sofa or even a piece of hotpink pop art—and pare it down with neutrals. She defines neutral as “any color that is found in nature and has a little bit of brown in it—olive green, mustard yellow.”
Color cohesiveness is also something to consider, McLaren adds. “Rooms don’t have to be twins, but they do have to be friends.” She
suggests choosing a group of colors to be repeated throughout the home. “Maybe one room is wild and the next is a little quieter, … but every room should connect in vibe and palette. … All rooms in a house should feel like they were [decorated] at the same time.”
ART DECO DETAILS
Rising in popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, hallmarks of art deco style include bold geometric prints, rich color and lots of visual drama. (Think “The Great Gatsby” or “Midnight in Paris.”)
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Some home design forecasters say this style is returning. McLaren suggests small details to hint at the time period rather than an all-over transformation. “I appreciate this style, but it can get kitsch real fast,” says McLaren, who finds subtler ways to satisfy a craving for decadent flair, like brass hardware (faucets and light fixtures) or a cascading glass chandelier to catch the eye.
“A lot of people like art deco wallpaper, but it’s a little too aggressive for me personally,” she adds. If you’re feeling playful with your space, she advises, “a powder room is a great place to experiment.” Second best: a formal dining room that’s a high-traffic area, but not a room you use often enough to grow tired of it.
When it comes to Hill’s approach, she loves to create a “wow” factor with a mix of softer geometric patterns (think small floral vines and Indian block prints versus converging lines or concentric circles that are common with art deco). “There’s so much research and thought behind these designs,” she says of ancient textiles that
have been reimagined. Curtains, custom lamp shades, and walls in powder rooms and dressing rooms are a few examples of areas to play with patterns.
“The key to mixing prints is to look at the scale,” Hill says. “If I have a big print, I won’t [pair] it with a second big print but will instead use a small floral or an interesting stripe or something that has geometry to it to offset that big floral. … The ‘hero print’ of the room is the big floral, while the others are supporting roles.”
Made by Nature
From curtailing environmental impacts to reducing health hazards, there are many reasons to use natural materials—such as wood, stone, cork and natural fibers, which are growing in popularity—when designing and decorating a home. Aesthetics are an added benefit.
“The wear and tear of natural marble, for example, is really beautiful because it shows patina,” notes Hill, who hones the stone for a velvety touch on kitchen countertops. “It shows that you’ve
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enjoyed the space—cooked in it, had dinner parties, spilled the red wine. It should be celebrated.”
Soapstone is another of Hill’s favorites for kitchen countertops, while limestone works well for everything from fireplace mantels to floors in bathrooms and laundry rooms. Cooler materials are offset by warmer ones, like reclaimed oak—a rule of balance she carries into her furnishings by mixing
wood pieces with steel or concrete.
McLaren notes that natural elements add a certain quality that typically isn’t found with synthetic materials.
“I like imperfection in design, which you get with natural materials over manufactured ones,” she says. “I love a piece of wood with [color] variants in the grain, because it adds depth and warmth to a space.”
Interior designer Casey Hill often integrates blue, from millwork to wall paint, rugs and textured fabrics, as clients seem to have taken a liking to this color since the pandemic.
